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Driven: Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi. Image by Vauxhall.

Driven: Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi
You might scoff at the new Vauxhall diesel engine's name, but it really couldn't be more appropriate.

   



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| Test drive | Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi |

Overall rating: 4 4 4 4 4

Good points: engine is remarkably quiet, smooth and petrol-like; excellent fuel economy; plenty of equipment; good space inside.
Not so good: Astra is handsome but 'whisper' diesel spec is a bit 'company car', so-so dynamics.

Key Facts

Model tested: Vauxhall Astra Hatch Tech Line 1.6 CDTi 16v (110hp) ecoFLEX Start/Stop
Pricing: £18,910 standard, £19,435 as tested; Astra 'whisper' diesel range starts from £17,635
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door hatch
Rivals: Ford Focus, SEAT Leon, Volkswagen Golf
CO2 emissions: 97g/km
Combined economy: 76.3mpg
Top speed: 115mph
0-62mph: 11.4 seconds
Power: 110hp at 4,000rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 2,000rpm

Our view:

Sometimes, it's best not to let the marketing bods get away with too much. Vauxhall calling the new CDTi engines 'whisper' diesels could be construed as careless (sorry...) - you're already setting yourself up for a fall if the engine turns out to be any noisier than a bunch of monks undertaking a prolonged vow of silence. It's like calling a dull car 'Carisma', or christening one a 'Nova', without checking what that means in Spanish. And on that note, let's not even start on 'Pajero'...

However, the Luton brand has managed to avoid potential misnomer embarrassment, because this engine is absolutely superb. It's very rare you get in a car and forget what fuel it's powered by, but for the first few miles I thought Vauxhall had sent me the wrong car and that I was driving a small-capacity turbocharged petrol model instead. The way the 'whisper' diesel revs, the way it quietly goes about its business, the fact it feels muscular enough despite its modest performance stats - it's a truly excellent piece of engineering. It's also mated to a super-smooth six-speed gearbox that's a total delight to operate, thanks to a £40 million investment in transmissions by General Motors.

The EU6-compliant CDTi's 'whisper' characteristics come courtesy of an efficient new combustion process with multipoint injection, as well as the use of acoustic covers and some redesigned componentry. You can have this engine in two outputs, either 110hp as tested here or 136hp, and as either a hatchback or Sports Tourer estate. However, only the 110hp version can dip below the magic 100g/km CO2 barrier to exempt owners from VED; it should also be the more popular car for fleet buyers. And, once you've got over the way in which it utterly quells noise in the cabin, you find it's a fine engine in terms of motive power. It's not exactly quick, but then it doesn't set out to be - and it'll more than hold its own in daily driving conditions. Also, it's a fuel miser. While a 76.3mpg combined figure is just endemic of the great NEDC consumption lie that's permeating the industry at the moment, in reality a car of this size and power that can average high-50s to the gallon in mixed roads driving is pretty impressive; steady cruising on the motorway, it'll climb well into the 60s, too.

All of the drivetrain's brilliance unfortunately only throws into stark relief the rest of the car, which is worthy stuff but not class-leading. There's little wrong with the sixth-generation Astra 'J', and indeed it's quite a handsome thing in certain guises - but in a plain colour and with little in the way of body styling, it looks uninspiring, which is a pity because Vauxhall makes some good-looking cars these days. The interior is much of the same, with everything in the right place and a good driving position, but there are no real design flourishes to catch the eye. It is, however, pretty capacious in both the passenger compartment and the boot, and in Tech Line format you get some nice toys like cruise control, the Navi 650 satnav system with a seven-inch colour monitor, Bluetooth and MP3 compatibility, a digital radio and a multifunction steering wheel. Yet while this engine can be had in an Astra from £17,635, our test car was veering close to the twenty grand mark and the only option was £525 dropped on two-coat pearlescent paint. The final sum is a lot for bread and butter motoring, if (sadly) comparable with competitors.

The dynamics aren't bad but you're unlikely to start caning a 110hp 1.6 diesel to within an inch of its life. Concomitant with that, the steering, brakes and road holding are all seven-out-of-ten; they get the job done without any extravagance. The ride is excellent, though, filtering out imperfections with an assurance befitting of larger machines. Overall, the Astra is likeable and at the same time slightly apologetic; there's no one facet, like the chassis sparkle of a Focus or the interior superiority of a Golf, that can back up that 1.6.

All of which brings us back to the 'whisper' designation, for the powertrain is the undoubted star of the show; maybe that's the Astra's USP - it's so very, very quiet. What this whisper diesel also signposts is continuing development of diesel engines by GM, so hopefully larger, more powerful 2.0-litre engines that are as hushed as this should be on the way. We hope so, because this is one of the very finest small capacity diesel engines you're likely to encounter.

Alternatives:

Ford Focus: two Econetic models, with either 88- or 99g/km CO2, but the former is more expensive and in Edge trim only. Either would be comparable cost- and spec-wise to this Astra, with better handling. Gawky looks, though.

SEAT Leon SE 1.6 TDI 105hp: same engine as the Golf but to get under 100g/km you have to have a mid-rank SE car, starting at around £19,000. Sharp exterior styling could sway buyers.

Volkswagen Golf 1.6 105hp BlueMotion: sneaks under 100g/km and has better consumption and performance figures - but you have to have a lower grade of trim to match the Astra's price, ergo less standard equipment.


Matt Robinson - 14 Aug 2014



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2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2014 Vauxhall Astra. Image by Vauxhall.
 






 

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